Time-rating mechanism



"Aprli 22 c. E. GARNER TIME RATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 5. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IllHlllll April 22 1924.

1,491,298 c. E. GARNER TIME RATING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 in connection Patented Apia 22, 1924.

PATENT OFFIQEO COB/MAN E. GARNER, 0F COLUMBUS, OHIO.

TIME-RATING MECHANISM.

Application filed January 5, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that CORMAN E. GARNER, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Rating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to horology and has particular reference to an improved instrument in the form of a master watch adapted primarily for the rating of various instruments of time.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a master watch which will be constructed so as to be of small compact formation and thereby capable of being readily carried by the user thereof and to include few, simple and positively operated parts which enable the master watch to be readily connected with a time piece to be rated for the purpose of effecting a comparison between the relative movements of the related time pieces.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a master watch wherein the balance wheel stafl' thereof is provided with a fixed indicator or hand, arranged to oscillate in unison with said staff over an exposed dial, provided in addition to the ordinary dials of a watch, by means of which added dial the extent of oscillation of the balance wheel staff may be observed, and in providing an exteriorly extending shaft with the watch which is capable of being rotated by gearing driven directly from the second hand staff of the watch and which shaft is capable of being directly connected for movement in unison with the second hand staff of a time piece, so that the movement of the latter will operate synchronously with that of the master watch, whereby in the event that the movement of the time piece being tested is not in strict and accurate conformity with that of the master watch, the movement of the latter will either be accelerated or retarded. and this deflection from normal may be instantly ascertained by noting the difference in the extent of oscillation of the indicator hand on the balance wheel stafi' Serial N0. 527,214.

of the master watch and the extent of oscillation of said hand after the master watch has been connected with the time piece to be tested as compared with the extent of oscillation prior to the connection of the master watch with the time piece to be rated.

A further object of the invention rests in the provision of a master watch will include a telescopic shaft connection between the gearing of said watch and the second hand staff of the watch to be tested, which connection is adapted when not in use to be disposed within the case of the watch proper, and wherein the case is, in addition, provided with folding legs capable when extended of supporting the master watch in a horizontal plane above the time piece to be tested, thereby permitting of the quick and convenient association of the said telescopic connection with the movements of the two time pieces.

Other objects of the invention rest in the provision of a structure for rotating the dial over which the hand of the balance wheel staff of the master watch rotates for the purpose of maintaining zero position on said dial in registration with either of the dead points of travel of said hand, thereby rendering the dial more convenient to read; in providing the exteriorly leading power shaft of the watch with a bearing structure in which said shaft is slidably mounted for the purpose of enabling said shaft, upon manual operation, to be longitudinally shifted, so that the drive gear rigidly carried thereby may be shifted into and out of driving relationship with the main gear train of the watch, and in generally forming a watch so that all parts thereof, when not in active use, will be encased and out of the way, for the purpose of enabling the watch to be readily carried in the pocket of a user and to present the conventional appearance of an ordinary watch.

For a further and more comprehensive understanding of the invention with regard to its principles, construction and manner of use reference is to be had to the following description, and to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is'a side elevation of the improved master watch comprising the present invention,

Figure 2 is a rear elevation thereof with the cover removed, portions of the back plate being broken away to disclose underlying structure,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a horizontal'sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the watch,

the back cover thereof being removed and disclosing the supporting legs in their folded position,

Figure 6 is an edge elevation of the master watch, disclosing the legs thereof extended to assume active positions and disclosing more particularly the relationship between the master watch and the time piece to be tested thereby,

Figure 7 is a detail view, partly in section, disclosing'a telescopic connection employed for positively connecting the movements of the master watch with the time piece to be tested,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 88 of Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a modification of the tele' scopic connection,

Referring more particularly to the details of the invention, as disclosed in the specific embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the numeral'l designates generally the improved master watch comprising the present invention. Broadly, the watch 1 is of standard construction, shape and proportion, and may be equipped with any desired standard movement. In this instance, however, the watch is shown to include a case 2, having the usualhour dial 3 disposed in the front part thereof, and over which the usual hour and minute hands 41 and 5 respectively travel. The stati 6, Fig. i of the second hand 7 is journaled as usual between the upper and intermediate plates 8 and 9 of the case 2, and is provided with a fixed pinion 1.0 engaged by one of the gears of the watch movement 11. This movement includes an escapement gear 12, having the teeth thereof disposed for engagement with the pivoted'lever 13 of the eseapement; This lever which is of usual construction, is pivoted as at 1d Figs. 2 and 1, within the case and is formed with a yoked end 15, disposed for engagement with a stud or pin 16 carried'by a disk 17 Fig. '3, the latter being, as usual, rigidly mounted on the balance' wheel staff 18 of'the watch.v

The stafi 18 is rotatably mounted in the usual jewel bearings 19, and is provided with the ordinary balance wheel 20, with which is connected an adjustable hair spring 21 Fig. 2. The construction so far de scribed is common to ordinary watch movements and therefore no specific claim is hereinafter made thereon. It will be understood, however, that the main movement of the" watch through the instrumentality of the main spring thereof and associated gearing, will oscillate the lever 13 and that the oscillation of the -latter is further controlled by the balance wheel and the associated hair spring, causing the gear 11 to be intermittently released in the usual manner to permit of the rotation of the hands 4, 5 and 7.

In accordance with the present invention the dial 3 is provided at one side with a circular opening 22, in which is positioned a rotatably adjustable additional or sec= ondary dial 2 having a graduated surface 24. A bracket 25'is secured to the hour dial and is extended into the vopening'22 to re ceive the upper of the stall bearings 19.

Contiguous to this upper bearing, the stail? 18 is provided with a fixed hand or rating pointer 26, which is adapted to oscillate back and forth over the secondary dial 23 in unison with the movements of the stat 18. The secondary dial 23'may be rotated with respect to the stationary dial 3 by the provision of a stem 27 Fig. 3, which is journaled in connection with the upper and intermediate plates 8 and 9 oi": the case 2 and has its outer end extendedthrough an open ing 28 provided in the lower plate 29 of said case, a finger wheel'30 being provided upon the extreme lower end of the stem 27 so that the latter may be conveniently located. The upper or inner end of the stem 27 is provided with a pinion 31 disposed for engagement'with gear teeth 32 provided upon the outer portion of the dial 23. Maniiestly, by rotating the stem 27, rotatable adjustment of the dial 23 may be effected, so'thatthe Zero indication provided upon the said secondary dial may be constantly maintained in registration with one of the dead points of oscillation of the rating pointer 26. BYTQHSOD of the escapement'movement, the stafi' 18 is oscillated back and forth, and the extent. of oscillation or the degree of rotary turning movement, is governed by the condition of the main spring of the watch, that is, it the spring is tightly wound, the rating pointer may oscillate haeltand forth through an are or circle of'300 however, if the main'spring has been unwound to a greater extent, then the oscillation of the rating pointer will be correspondingly shorter. Therefore, by rotating the secondary dial the Zero positioned thereon may at any given time be properly registered with one of the dead positions of movement of the pointer 26, permitting an inspector to readily ascertain the extent of oscillation of the pointer.

Mounted for rotary movement between the plates 8 and 9 is an arbor 33, which carries an elongated pinion 34 in the nature of an idler and disposed to be constantly in mesh with an enlarged gear 35 fixed to the second hand shaft 6 of the movement capable of being continuously rotated in unison with the shaft of the second hand. Journaled so as to extend parallel with the arbor 33 in connection with the plates 8, 9 and 29 is a slidably mounted rating shaft 36. This shaft carries a fixed gear 37 of the same size normally disposed out of engagement with the pinion 34 but operable upon sliding movement of said shaft in an upward direction, see Figure 4, to be engaged with the pinion 34 so that the shaft 36 will rotate in unison with the staff of the second hand 7. The rating shaft 36, in this instance, is formed with an annular groove 38, in which is positioned the yoke shaped outer end of a leaf spring 39, which latter is fixed to the intermediate plate 9 and operates normally to maintain the gear 37 out of driving engagement with the pinion 34. To effect sliding movement on the part of the shaft 36, there is provided a plunger 40, which is slidably mounted in connection with the plates 9 and 29, and has its inner end disposed for engagement with the spring 39. Obviously, by pressing inwardly upon the plunger 40 slidable movement will be imparted to the shaft 36, for the purpose of controlling driving relationship between the gear 37 and the pinion 34. The said plunger 40 is formed with grooves 41, engageable by a spring 42, which is adapted to lock the plunger in either its extended or retracted positions.

The outer end of the shaft 36 projects through a depression 43 provided in the plate 29, and is situated between said plate and the removable screw threaded back cover 44 of the watch. By removing the cover 44, as shown in Figure 2, the end of the rating shaft 36 will be rendered accessible, and also the headed end of the. plunger 40, enabling the said plunger to be manipulated so as to govern driving relationship between the arbor 33 and the rating shaft 36. The outer end of the shaft 36, as shown more partieularly in Figures 7 and 8, is squared as at 45 for the reception of a similarly formed socket 45 provided in a telescopic driving connection 46. Locked engagement between the connection 46 and the squared end 45 of the shaft 36 is maintained by the provision of a wirespring 47, which has an inturned extremity 48, arranged to be received within registering recesses 49 provided in conjunction with the squared end of the rating shaft 36 and the socket 45 of the driving connection. By this construction the shaft 36 may be instantly and securely connected tothe connection 46 so as to secure rotation on the part of the latter in conformity with the main movement of'the watch 1. The connection 46 consists of telescopic upper and lower sections 50 and 51 respectively, by means of which the effective length of the connection is readily governed.

In operation, the cover 44 of the master watch 1 is first removed when an operator desires to effect a comparison between the watch 1 and a time piece 52 to be rated,for the purpose of testing or rating the accuracy of such time piece. Then the cover 44 is removed the watch 1 is supported in a substantially horizontal position above the time piece 52, as shown in Figure 6, by the provision of folding legs 53, which are hinged as at 54 in connection with the lower plate 29, the lower ends of the legs being disposed to engage with any suitable base. It will be noted that the legs 53 when extended diverge downwardly thus allowing the time piece 52 to be readily inserted beneath the watch 1. Also, as shown in Figure 5when the legs are inactively positioned the same may be folded so as to lie within the confines of the case 2, and to be covered by the removable back of the watch. The next step in operation is to remove the crystal of the time piece 52 so asto expose the staff and second hand 55 and 56 respectively thereof. Following this, the connection 46 is united with the squared end of the rating shaft 36, and the yoke shaped lower end 57 of the lower section 51 of said connection is dropped, as disclosed in Figure 6, so that the fingers 58 of the end 57 will be situated on opposite sides of the hand'56 with respect to the stafi 55. By this construction it will be manifest that the movements of both the master watch 1 and the time piece 52 will be locked together for unitary movement, and if both movements are in strict accord with one another the rating pointer 26 will oscillate, normally, thatis, as before association with the time piece 52. However, in the event that the movement of the time piece is more rapid than that of the master watch 1 an additional rotating force will be applied to the gearing of the watch 1, causing an additional force to be applied directly to the escapement, which results in effecting greater oscillatory movement on the part of the pointer 26. The extent of this excess movement of the pointer may be readily determined by the inspector who, before connecting the time piece52 with the master watch, had taken cognizance of the normal extent of oscillation of the pointer. The inspector may then take steps to correct the adjustment of the time piece 52. Similarly, in the event that the time piece being rated has a movement which is slower than that of themaster watch, a load will be applied to the movement of the master watch and particularly to its escapement, which results in decreasing the normal extent of oscillation of the pointer, which condition may be readily observed by the inspector and the movement of the time piece accordingly adjusted to overcome the same. It will of course be understood that the sections 50 and 51 of the connection 16 do not rotate relatively, such rotation being overcome by squaring the shank 51 of the lower section. As shown in Figure 9 the shank 59 may have its lower end formed with a pair of resilient jaws 60,which are capable of being readily connected with the squared end of the staff 55 of the time piece 52, in a manner independent of the second hand.

In View of the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a simple, compact and easily operated instru ment for quickly and accurately determining the accuracy of a time piece rated thereby, overcoming the'necessity of rating by the ear or eye, saving considerable time and labor in effecting the operation and permitting the operation to be accomplished by relatively unskilled persons, instead of employing the services of skilled jewelers or timers. The watch is self contained and may be carried from place to place in the manner of an ordinary watch. As shown more particularly in Figure 5 the watch is constructed so that its movements will be completely encased and thereby protected from the detrimental influence of foreign elements or dirt particles, it being of prime importance that the movement of the master watch shall be highly refined and capable of keeping extremely accurate and precise time. When not in use the connection 46 is adapted to be positioned in the back of the watch in the same compartment as the legs 53.

What'is claimed is:

1. -A master watch for rating time pieces, having an escapement including'a balance wheel staff, a rating pointer fixed to said staff and arranged for oscillation in unison therewith, a rating shaft, and a drive mechanism between said shaft and the second hand spindle of the watch.

2. A master watch for rating time pieces, comprising a main watch movement includ ing an escapement, a balance wheel staff, a rating pointer fixed to oscillate with said staff, an adjustable dial cooperative with said pointer, a shaft arranged for connec tion with the time piece to be rated, and gearing between said shaft and the second hand spindle of said movement. said shaft serving .to influence the extent of oscillation of said pointer over said dial.

3. In a time rating instrument, a watch movement including an escapement and an oscillatory staff, anindicator pointer fixed to oscillate with said staff, a shaft carried by said instrument and having means by which it is rotated by the movement of said staff, said shaft being arranged for connection with the movement of a time piece to be rated, and mechanism between said shaft and escapement for governing the operation of the shaft.

4. In a time rating instrument, a watch movement including an escapement, a balance wheel staff mounted for oscillation in connection with said escapement, a rating pointer fixed to oscillate with said staff, a dial over which said pointer oscillates, and means for connecting the movement of a time piece to be rated with said watch movement.

5. In a time rating instrument comprising a watch movement including an oscillatory balance wheel staff llEtVlIlQ' a graduated face, said staff being extended through the main dial of said movement, a pointer carried by said staif and oscillating in unison with the latter over the graduated face, and means for connecting the movement of a time piece to be rated with said watch movement, whereby a variance between said movements may be indicated by the oscillatory movement of said pointer.

6. In a time rating instrument, a watch movement including an escapement and an oscillatory balance wheel shaft, a rating pointer fixed to said staff and arranged for oscillation in connection therewith, a rating shaft, drive mechanism between said shaft and the second hand spindle of the instrument, and a connection between said shaft and the movement of the time piece to be rated.

7. In a time rating instrument, a watch movement including an escapement and an exposed dial, an oscillatory balance wheel staff, and a second hand shaft, a pointer fixed to said balance wheel staff and ar ranged to oscillate in unison with the latter over the exposed dial, a rating shaft, drive gearing between said second hand and rating shafts, and means connectible with said rating shaft to join the latter for rotation with the movement of a watch to be rated.

8. In a time rating instrument, a main watch movement including an escapeinent and an exposed dial, an oscillatory balance wheel staff and a second hand shaft, a pointer connected with said balance wheel staff and oscillating in unison with the latter over an exposed dial, a rating shaft. drive gearing between said second hand and rating shafts, and a telescopeconnection arranged to be carried in conjunction with said rating shaft to unite the latter with the movement of a time piece to be rated.

9. In a time rating instrument, a case, a watch movement mounted within said case, said movement including anoscillatory halance Wheel stafi, a rating shaft, means uniting said rating shaft for i'etation in unison with said movement, said shaft extendin through the back of said case, legs foldaine into the back of said case for supening the latter in spaced relationship from the time piece to be tested, and a cor; ctien capable of being contained in said case When. not in use and serving to unite said rating shaft With the movement of the time piece 1 to be tested.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CORMAN E. GARNER. 

